§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to include mental illness in the list of medical conditions which confer exemption from prescription charges; and if she will make a statement. [17714]
§ Mr. MaloneNone. The list of exempt conditions was, and still is, limited to those which
need continuous medication forlifelong periods and which admit no discretionby doctorsas to identification of individuals".The list has been reviewed a number of times since 1968.
No changes have been made.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total(a) amount raised from prescription charges (b) the expenditure on the system of NHS prescriptions for medication within the NHS and (c) the difference between (a) and (b) for each financial year since 1979–80. [18252]
§ Mr. MaloneThe information is shown in the table.
1214W
Total (a) annual income from prescription charges collected by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing
doctors and from the sale of prepayment certificates by family
health service authorities; (b) annual expenditure on the family
health services drugs bill and dispensing fees; and (c) the
difference between (a) and (b) in England 1979–80 to 1993–94
£ million Year (a) Income from prescription charges and prepayment certificates (b) Expenditure on FHS drugs bill and dispensing fees1 (c) Difference between (a) and (b) 1979–80 39 790 751 1980–81 71 974 903 1981–82 87 1,125 1,038 1982–83 103 1,290 1,187 1983–84 110 1,431 1,321 1984–85 121 1,551 1,430 1985–86 128 1,657 1,529 1986–87 148 1,787 1,639 1987–88 158 1,972 1,814 1988–89 177 2,236 2,059 1989–90 189 2,461 2,272 1990–91 206 2,640 2,434
Total (a) annual income from prescription charges collected by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing
doctors and from the sale of prepayment certificates by family
health service authorities; (b) annual expenditure on the family
health services drugs bill and dispensing fees; and (c) the
difference between (a) and (b) in England 1979–80 to 1993–94
£ million Year (a) Income from prescription charges and prepayment certificates (b) Expenditure on FHS drugs bill and dispensing fees1 (c) Difference between (a) and (b) 1991–92 215 2,920 2,705 1992–93 242 3,299 3,057 1993–94 265 3,628 3,363 Note:
1 Includes the cost of prescriptions written by general medical practitioners and general dental practitioners and the remuneration paid to community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors for dispensing them. Excludes the cost of prescriptions written by hospitals for out-patients and dispensed by community pharmacists.